The position is located in the Occupational Safety and Emergency Management Service (OSEMS) at VA Long Beach Health Care System - Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. The Environmental Protection Specialist is responsible for providing environmental expertise and support in one or more specialized environment fields.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The Environmental Protection Specialist supports VALBHS Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) implementation and applies specialized knowledge of one or more specialized fields and a working knowledge in the other specialized fields, which include Air Quality Management, Industrial Wastewater, Water Quality Management, Hazardous Waste Management, PCB Management, Underground Storage Tank Management, Hazardous Material Control & Management, Solid Waste Management, Hazardous Waste Tank Management, Oil and Hazardous Substance Spill Prevention and Control, VALBHS Restoration Program, Construction Projects, Compliance Inspections, and Environmental Programs Management and Reporting Systems. The major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Interpreting policy, laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and directives related to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and management of the GEMS program Advising stakeholders, Federal, and State partner agencies on Federal responsibilities and the requirements of NEPA and EPA, the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), and implementation to assure compliance with environmental laws and regulations Reviewing, analyzing, and recommending modifications to existing environmental programs and practices Completing and managing environmental analysis, regulatory and compliance evaluations, risk assessments, assessments of past environmental practices, implementation of environmental regulations and policy, requiring interpretation of laws, orders, regulations, and agency guidance Evaluating the need for additional or improved facilities and personnel development pursuant to applicable local, state, and federal requirements Managing environmental permits and leads facility self-assessments, inspections, and other environmental investigations Advising executive leadership on the status of environmental programs and recommending changes in the design of facility programs to meet new environmental requirements Interacting with federal, state, and local environmental agencies with respect to facility environmental issues Providing technical direction to one or more Environmental Specialist and contract support staff on environmental issues and program planning to achieve compliance with proposed regulations Overseeing a well-established State program to regulate underground storage tanks (USTs) and identifies basic to complex program needs Establishing relationships and maintain liaisons with outside emergency response agencies Inspecting proper documentation for the transportation of hazardous materials and waste Analyzing and proposing recommendations concerning capital improvement of expenditures affecting specific programs and service areas Reviewing construction projects plans and specifications for pollution control features to ensure compliance with established standards Providing guidelines to improve operation and maintenance of environmentally related systems and functions Applying a thorough knowledge of the principles, concepts, and practices relating to environmental protection programs as they concern problems of organizing, planning, funding, and controlling environmental activities Participating in coordinating activities with municipal, state, regional, and federal environmental regulatory agencies Attending committee meetings and joint field inspections Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 07:30 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as an Environmental Protection Specialist in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Specialized Experience (GS-12): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: ensuring a variety of routine projects meet compliance with environmental laws and regulations; reviewing and maintaining current files of local, state, and federal pollution control regulations and serving as the technical authority on the requirements of these regulations; inspecting proper documentation for the transportation of hazardous materials and waste and accountability of waste manifests; providing guidelines to improve operation and maintenance of environmentally related systems and functions; and assisting design engineers in the preparation of operation and maintenance manuals. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) AND SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience executing and managing environmental protection programs designed to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations governing (1) air emissions, (2) hazardous materials, (3) hazardous waste, (4) water quality, and/or (5) storage of regulated substances in underground storage tanks. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show this experience to be credited.) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Analytical ThinkingEnvironmental EngineeringOrganizational Performance AnalysisOrganizational Stewardship IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Long Beach VA Medical Center 5901 East Seventh Street Long Beach, CA 90822 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]